http://www.financealley.com en-us editorial@financealley.com Death and taxes are those two things you can never escape. When forming a corporation, making your tax year designation is a fundamental step you need to take carefully. Taxes are defined by something magical known as the fiscal year. It is a 365 day ... http://www.financealley.com/article_472868_18.html 12th February 2008 The legal system comes in categories and layers that most people don’t grasp at first. One of the layers has to do with how corporations are regulated and leads to the odd situation where many corporations are designated as “foreign” even if they ar... http://www.financealley.com/article_472867_18.html 12th February 2008 Corporations are valued for a number of reasons and the shield against liability is certainly a big one. Given this, you really don’t want to inadvertently breach your corporate shield. What is the corporate shield? It is the barrier that is put up ... http://www.financealley.com/article_471936_18.html 11th February 2008 As most know, you have been able to obtain an EIN online through the IRS for new businesses. The process was fairly confusing, however, because the IRS essentially just put a form online. That has all changed.Just so we are clear, EIN stands f... http://www.financealley.com/article_241316_15.html 07th November 2007 Given the fact that the threat of getting sued is on just about every business owner’s mind, it is hardly surprising that most businesses are held in the form of a corporation or limited liability company. While this makes sense, how to actually form an... http://www.financealley.com/article_204742_18.html 22nd August 2007 The corporate entity is a very popular one with most businesses. Although traditional “C” corporations are frowned upon for small businesses, “S” corporations are viewed more favorably. So, just what are “S” and “C” corporations? The te... http://www.financealley.com/article_204628_18.html 22nd August 2007 Once you register a corporation in your state, you must go ahead and capitalize it. This raises a host of questions regarding the best way to do it and potential risks of getting it wrong. First things first. Any discussion of capitalization needs a d... http://www.financealley.com/article_192356_18.html 26th July 2007 Most shareholders believe a corporation protects them from personal liability. This is generally true unless alter ego is successfully asserted. Alter ego is an equitable claim that a corporation should be set aside in a lawsuit and the shareholders h... http://www.financealley.com/article_192355_18.html 26th July 2007 Deciding to incorporate is usually a function of seeking to protect oneself from the risks of doing business by employing a corporate shield. Ah, but can that shield be penetrated? Yes! The internet is an amazing part of our lives, but it has created a... http://www.financealley.com/article_192354_18.html 26th July 2007 The limited liability company is a popular business entity for small businesses. Here are some common questions and answers regarding the entity. LLC stands for limited liability company. The entity was first created in Wyoming in the late 1970s, but ... http://www.financealley.com/article_186711_18.html 19th July 2007 Many sites put up privacy policies without giving them much thought. Once up, they are often forgotten about even if the policy is later changed. This can lead to disaster as one recent case showed. You probably are not surprised to learn that lying i... http://www.financealley.com/article_180143_18.html 01st July 2007 It goes without saying that the LLC is the media darling when it comes to choosing an entity for small businesses. In some cases, however, an LLC is at a disadvantage compared to an S Corporation. Originating in the late 1970s in Wyoming, Limited Liab... http://www.financealley.com/article_178011_18.html 27th June 2007 A domain name is your address on the web, which can make it vitally important. So, what do you do when someone tries to move onto your yard? If you work on the web at all, you know that domain names can be very similar. This raises the question of whe... http://www.financealley.com/article_176283_18.html 19th June 2007 There are many ways to make money online including buying another website that may be a competitor or compliment to yours. When doing so, you need to watch out for IP problems. The creation of a web business tends to be a herky-jerky event. Things can... http://www.financealley.com/article_175690_18.html 18th June 2007 When it comes time to start a business, many people just get on with the process without really thinking about issues like taxes, liability and business entities. This can lead to unintended consequences. If you start a business and are the sole owner... http://www.financealley.com/article_175683_18.html 18th June 2007 Online gaming has been incredibly popular, particularly the various forms of poker. That all changed in 2006 when the federal government effectively banned a majority of online gaming. The gaming industry is finally fighting back. The Unlawful Interne... http://www.financealley.com/article_174283_18.html 15th June 2007 Google often touts its motto as “do no evil,” but fails to follow through. The area of user privacy is one that Google is clearly abusing more than other companies, but is it all Google’s fault? Data retention. It sounds like a boring IT issue, ... http://www.financealley.com/article_174282_18.html 15th June 2007 When considering business entities, it can be easy to lose the forest for the trees. Half the battle is simply understanding the different language used for LLCs and corporations. When it comes to the language of business entities, the first issue is ... http://www.financealley.com/article_168930_18.html 04th June 2007 Many professionals are barred from forming limited liability companies or basic corporations for their practices. Instead, there only option is often to form a professional corporation. When it comes to business entities, there are many forms a busines... http://www.financealley.com/article_138082_18.html 14th March 2007 If you own a business, sooner or later you are going to run into a situation where you screw something up. This situation can be an opportunity or disaster all depending on how you handle it. To error is human, or so the cliché goes. If you are older... http://www.financealley.com/article_131485_15.html 21st February 2007 Whether you are just starting a new business or need a cash infusion, the idea of selling an ownership interest will come to mind at some point. The question is whether this is a good idea or not. A business is in many ways the realization of a dream.... http://www.financealley.com/article_131484_15.html 21st February 2007 Many a guru has opined on the keys to business success. While everyone has an opinion, I am going to focus on a more practical step you can take that will make a big difference. So, what is this magical step? It is to find a good accountant. Not exact... http://www.financealley.com/article_130487_15.html 19th February 2007 If you are considering starting up a business, you are facing both an exciting and stressful time. To succeed, you should avoid the common mistakes many new business owners make. The motivation to start a business is usually derived from a dream. You ... http://www.financealley.com/article_130154_18.html 19th February 2007 The limited liability company is a popular business entity choice for small businesses. One reason is the lack of formality, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t document certain decisions. A limited liability company is a business entity that comb... http://www.financealley.com/article_129845_15.html 17th February 2007 Discussing a trademark in general is often difficult. Why? It has to do with the fact that you can trademark many things that are unique and entirely different. When a person thinks of a trademark, most picture a logo of some sort. The swooping Coca C... http://www.financealley.com/article_129078_18.html 15th February 2007 Once you start conducting business, you are going to start running into the topic of intellectual property and trademarks. Understanding the role of a trademark will help you grasp why they are important. A trademark is a unique form of intellectual p... http://www.financealley.com/article_129077_18.html 15th February 2007 Protecting your logo and so on with a trademark is a smart move. Ah, but what about protecting it in the United States AND internationally? Filling for a trademark is a smart move for practically any business. Although the process can be lengthy, the f... http://www.financealley.com/article_129076_18.html 15th February 2007 A trademark is a distinctive image, word or other thing that associates with a product or service. So, can you trademark your business name? Most people think trademarks are logo oriented. In some ways, this is true. The Nike Swoosh is clearly a logo t... http://www.financealley.com/article_129075_18.html 15th February 2007 When coming up with a logo or mark, there are plenty of options. Sometimes, people make a choice that cannot be trademarked and this leads to problems. When you start a business, you probably have visions of huge success. At the same time, it can be d... http://www.financealley.com/article_129074_18.html 15th February 2007 Most people form and use business entities for one primary purpose – to protect themselves from personal liability for the debts of the business. This protection, however, can be lost. A corporation or LLC provides protection from personal liability... http://www.financealley.com/article_129013_18.html 15th February 2007 If you form a corporation for a business, it can become very confusing when the issue of running the actual business arises. For instance, what is the difference between shareholders and directors? The corporation is the oldest formal business entity w... http://www.financealley.com/article_128897_18.html 15th February 2007 Deciding to form a business entity is often a wise choice for most businesses. What seems simple can quickly become confusing given all the legal jargon. If you want to incorporate, you have a couple of different choices regarding how to go about the ... http://www.financealley.com/article_128896_18.html 15th February 2007 More than a few people prefer to form corporations to protect their businesses, but look for a more favorable tax situation. The answer, of course, is the S-corporation. For a long time, corporations were the dominant business entity available to mos... http://www.financealley.com/article_127735_18.html 09th February 2007 Limited liability companies are the popular new choice for business start-ups. The “LLC” has only been in existence for roughly 26 years and there are some definite pros and cons. A limited liability company is a creature of state law. Prior to th... http://www.financealley.com/article_127734_18.html 09th February 2007 If ever there was a misunderstood business entity, it is the close corporation. Most people have heard of them, but have no idea what they are. Well, the answer is pretty simple. First off, a close corporation is not a business that has been shut down... http://www.financealley.com/article_126874_18.html 06th February 2007 When forming a business, it is often difficult to come up with a name. Many people just use their personal name, but a fictitious business name filing provides other opportunities. When naming your business, it is often smart to assign your own name t... http://www.financealley.com/article_126872_18.html 06th February 2007 Many people starting a business have little knowledge or interest in business entities and thus become sole proprietors. There are pros and cons to this approach. A sole proprietorship is a default business form. If you start your own business and do ... http://www.financealley.com/article_126871_18.html 06th February 2007 If you are considering going into business for yourself, it makes absolute sense to be as prepared as possible. Here is a checklist of things you need to consider. 1. Living Funds – Unless you are one of the very lucky few, your business will not be... http://www.financealley.com/article_125526_15.html 01st February 2007 Starting a business is a scary and exciting time. It takes a leap of faith, but also offers up the hope of successfully doing something you love. Still, there are things to be wary of. When taking the leap of faith on a business, people will often look... http://www.financealley.com/article_125525_15.html 01st February 2007 If you are contemplating forming an entity for your business, there is a lot of information to consider. Here are some of the more esoteric things you will not see discussed in most how to guides. The Next Google – Ambition and hope are the two attr... http://www.financealley.com/article_125436_18.html 01st February 2007 The corporation is the most used form of business entity in the United States. While many people form the entity, most don’t understand the corporate minute requirements. A corporation is a stand alone business entity. It is favored as a business fo... http://www.financealley.com/article_125435_18.html 01st February 2007 There are a variety of ways to structure the formation of a business. Partnerships and limited liability partnerships are two of the choices. If you are currently running a business, you might be in for a surprise. If the business has two or more owne... http://www.financealley.com/article_125434_18.html 01st February 2007 If you start a business, you should strongly consider forming an entity to protect you from liability. Corporations and limited liability companies are two of the more popular choices. The first thing to understand is a corporation is a different busi... http://www.financealley.com/article_125433_18.html 01st February 2007 General partnerships are often frowned upon as a business entity because they expose the partners to all kinds of liability exposure. The limited partnership may offer a solution to this problem. A limited partnership is more or less what the name sug... http://www.financealley.com/article_124982_18.html 31st January 2007 There is a cliché that you should never go into business with your friends because they will soon become former friends. This is particularly true with business entity formations. Starting a business is a positive move. One tends to think of the succe... http://www.financealley.com/article_124981_18.html 31st January 2007 In the modern digital world, identity theft is a serious concern. Avoiding identity theft is all about using your common sense. Identity theft is simply what is says. Someone steals your identity for the purpose of using it for a fraudulent transactio... http://www.financealley.com/article_123590_18.html 26th January 2007 Wikipedia has become one of those odd internet sites that have evolved into a phenomenon. Alas, some companies don’t like what is written about them. Unless you have been living offline, you probably know about Wikipedia. The site is a giant informa... http://www.financealley.com/article_123589_18.html 26th January 2007 Google must be wondering what it has gotten itself into. YouTube is in trouble again after receiving a subpoena from Fox for posting episodes of the show 24. Fox has a number of shows that are very popular with viewers. American Idol is obviously the ... http://www.financealley.com/article_123588_18.html 26th January 2007 When it comes to identity theft, there are many ways for thieves to get their hands on your information. If you shopped at TJ Max or Marshalls recently, you may have a problem. TJ Max and Marshalls are two popular retail stores that can be found in pr... http://www.financealley.com/article_123587_18.html 26th January 2007 When it comes to downloading music on the web in a legal fashion, Itunes is the undisputed leader. Well, maybe not in Norway. Norway has a unique set of laws related to technology, particularly as it applies to the web. One set of laws tries to create... http://www.financealley.com/article_123586_18.html 26th January 2007